Letters to the Editor: Pumpkin smashing disrespectful act

November 4, 2006

On Wednesday morning as I was driving to work, I noticed several smashed pumpkins in front of my neighbor’s house and in his driveway. The last few years have been difficult for him; he suffers, as many of us do, from the pain and loneliness that is caused by depression.

My neighbor loves Halloween, and always goes to great lengths to decorate his yard; it gives him pleasure, and this year was no different. I wonder how he felt when he woke up to find his pumpkins destroyed.

It seems to me that we should regard each other with greater respect. In a community where there is such an enormous emphasis on faith, children should learn to think about how their actions impact others.

If we are not teaching our children to be decent human beings, then we can only expect to live in a society where people mistreat each other.

Gillian F. Andersen
Portales

Votes important for critical issues
Election Day on Tuesday is important because so much depends on our ability to choose the right leaders for our government.

We must choose the best people to make decisions regarding the war in Iraq, the economy, taxes, Social Security and Medicare, abortion, marriage, crime and so many other issues.

Please be sure to vote.

Len Santi
Clovis

Toxins, not smell, cause of opposition
I heard a representative from ConAgra say they still plan to build an ethanol plant near Clovis’ city limits. He mentioned a special filter that would reduce the smell. I attended the public hearing on Oct. 26 and the representative still doesn’t get it.

The issue isn’t the smell. It’s the toxins that will be emitted over the city of Clovis.

The citizens of Clovis need to wake up. We don’t want these toxins filtering into our homes, the soil, the livestock, our lungs, our babies, our parents. We need to preserve the clean air we have. Think of the health costs that will be associated with this, not to mention the issue of water — 315 million gallons a year will be needed to operate the plant, by their own admission.
We have to fight this.